5 Recommended Suspense Novels Set Within the World of Academia

April 15, 2021

What is it about dark academia that is just so appealing? I can never resist a suspense novel that draws on the world of academia, and if that sounds like your cup of tea, today’s reading list is for you! I was inspired to write this list after reading one of my most-anticipated suspense novels of 2021, THE MAIDENS by Alex Michaelides, which centers around a murder at Cambridge University. While we wait for the publication of THE MAIDENS in mid-June here in the US, I thought I would round up a few of my personal favorite (and currently-available!) suspense novels that each, in one way or another, dabble in the world of dark academia. From a story of Pretty Little Liars-level drama at a boarding school to a sinister tale of two academics whose work together takes a dangerous turn, this reading list rounds up a few of my personal favorite and most-recommended suspense and mystery novels that incorporate elements of dark academia. As an added bonus, at the end of this blog post I’ve also highlighted three Summer 2021 suspense novels that also put their own unique spins on the world of academic mysteries. Happy reading!

8 Recommended Bookish Mysteries & Suspense Novels

January 5, 2020

What could be better than a crime novel about books? For so many of us bookworms (myself included!), there’s something especially fun about reading a book about books or authors. In today’s blog post, I’m rounding up 8 mystery and suspense novels that deal with exactly that! The books discussed here all relate to the world of books in one way or another. Some of them feature protagonists who are authors or aspiring writers, some have “book within a book” style plots, and all of them will satisfy your desire to dig into some good old bookish intrigue. This is a category of crime novel I personally never tire of, and I hope this list will help you find a book or two that catches your eye, too! Happy reading!

New Release Tuesday: March 5th, 2019

March 5, 2019

Talk about starting the month off right! March has a number of exciting new crime reads in store, but today’s bunch of brand-new releases might just be the most exciting of all. Today, March 5th, marks release day for a gripping work of domestic suspense, a bookish crime novel with a Gothic edge, and the newest release from Denmark’s Queen of Crime - and this blog post will give you a quick rundown of each. Clear your TBR - you’ll want to dive into these beauties as soon as possible! Read on for my picks for new crime fiction on sale this week.

Book Review: THE STRANGER DIARIES by Elly Griffiths

February 14, 2019

How is this the first time I’ve read a book by Elly Griffiths? There’s no other way to say it: I’ve been missing out. Griffiths’ exceptional standalone THE STRANGER DIARIES is a spring 2019 must-read. Layered and immersive, atmospheric and authentic, this brilliant twist on Gothic suspense will captivate the reader. Following Clare Cassidy, a teacher who specializes in Gothic literature, THE STRANGER DIARIES takes readers into a bookish mystery with sinister undertones. When one of Clare’s closest colleagues is found murdered, Clare is grief-stricken—but things take an ominous turn when a clue is discovered on the corpse that tie the gruesome crime to the work of a Gothic writer who happens to be one of Clare’s favorites. Could life be imitating art? As Clare ventures into the dark heart of the goings on at her place of employment, it begins to appear that this work of fiction is playing out in the real world—to deadly end. In THE STRANGER DIARIES, Griffiths masterfully blends Gothic influence with modern-day suspense sensibility, and the result is effortless, spine-tingling, page-turning fun. Masterfully blurring the lines between reality and fiction, Elly Griffiths has crafted an exceptional bookish mystery that is both an ode to Gothic literature and an effective work of Gothic suspense unto itself.

Excerpt: THE STRANGER DIARIES by Elly Griffiths

January 29, 2019

A modern take on Gothic suspense with a literary twist? Sign me up. I first learned of Griffiths’ forthcoming standalone suspense novel THE STRANGER DIARIES at Bouchercon this past fall, and have been eagerly anticipating its release ever since. In THE STRANGER DIARIES, Griffiths (best known for her Ruth Galloway series) crafts a suspense novel centered around a teacher of Gothic literature, who finds the plot of one of the books she uses in her courses playing out in real life… to potentially deadly end. From its stunning cover to its bookish plot and Gothic-inspired touches, THE STRANGER DIARIES has all the makings of an instant-favorite for me - and I couldn’t be more excited to give you the inside scoop on this book today! Thanks to the team at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, I’m thrilled to share with CBTB readers an early excerpt of the book’s first chapter. THE STRANGER DIARIES releases in the US in March, but you can get a taste of Griffiths’ captivating writing right here. And let me just say: I’m currently reading THE STRANGER DIARIES, and have found it to be absolutely gripping from page one. So far, it’s exceeding all my expectations, and I can’t wait for you to give it a read, too! Read on for plot details, a selection of the incredible early praise the book is already receiving, links to pre-order, and (of course!) the excerpt itself.

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